Abstract: Lake morphometry is of fundamental importance for understanding the lake ecosystems,but it was previously neglected in researching the lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert. Here,a bathymetry survey of 10 large lakes in the desert was carried out using the ultra-sonic depth finder and RTK-GPS measurement system. Bathymetries was used to chart the relative hypsographic curves. Moreover,the morphometric parameters were calculated using the detailed lake depth data. In the lake size aspect,the Buerde Lake was distinguished from the remaining lakes because of its largest water area but the smallest maximum depth. However,the other 9 lakes were similar in their water areas,volumes,maximum depths and mean depths. In the lake shape aspect,the shorelines of the lakes were closed to circles expect the Buerde Lake,Yihejigede Lake,Sumujilin Lake and Yindeertu Lake. All the lakes could be considered as the shallow lakes. The method that the peripheral terrain is used to estimate the lake volumes is unsuitable for researching the lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert due to the location of the lakes and the endogenous travertine. Therefore,a mechanism-based empirical formula was presented in this study for estimating the volumes of the lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert in the future.

Key words: lake morphometry, lake depth measurement, lake volume estimation, Badain Jaran Desert